Initially, there were a number of Windows Registry tweaks that allowed users to customize the design choices in Windows 11, such as changing the size of the taskbar. However, they have long been removed, and there is no official option for making these tweaks. With that said, thanks to Windows’ large user base and the community, there is a third-party option that can be utilized to customize the look of Windows 11 to your liking. Open Shell, formerly known as Classic Shell, is a third-party, free program that enables users to customize the interface of various Windows elements, such as the Start Menu, Windows Task Bar, the File Explorer window, and more. Open Shell is a new project that builds on the Classic Shell development, which has been abandoned by the previous maintainers. In this article, we will show you how to use Open Shell on Windows 11 to customize the default user interface offered by Microsoft.
1. Download and install Open Shell.
The first thing you need to do to get started with Open Shell is to download it from the official GitHub repository and install it on your computer. This is quite easy to do; simply follow the instructions below:
2. Customize the Start Menu using Open Shell.
Now that you have installed Open Shell on your computer, you can customize a number of features on your PC. Let’s start by showing you how to customize the Start Menu using Open Shell in Windows 11.
3. Customize the Taskbar with Open Shell.
Open Shell allows for a few customizations to the taskbar, such as changing the color, altering the appearance of the taskbar, and more. To customize the Windows 11 taskbar with Open Shell, follow the instructions below:
4. Automatically update Open Shell.
Open Shell offers an automatic update feature, which saves you the trouble of downloading and installing a new version when it becomes available. To enable automatic updates for Open Shell on your system, follow the instructions below:
